The Buzz: Can We Please Pay Women?

Here we go again. Every year we recognize Equal Pay Day, the day that symbolizes how much extra women must work to be paid what men were paid the year prior. And every year we write about it in The Inclusion Solution. Every year, the media talks about it with alarm and dismay. And yet, nothing has changed.

This year, that day was March 24. So, in other words: in order for an average woman to make what a white, non-Hispanic man earned in 2020, she would have to work from January 1, 2020, until March 24, 2021.

The gender pay gap is calculated from the census reports of men’s and women’s median annual earnings. The wage gap between men and women exists in 94% of occupations. According to the National Women’s Law Center, women working full time and year-round are paid 82 cents for every dollar paid to men.

When you start looking at the intersections of race/ethnicity and gender, the gap widens. Black women, Native American women and Latina women earn 63 cents, 60 cents and 55 cents, respectively, to the dollar of their white men colleagues – which is almost exactly the earnings in 2020. Here’s the list of 2021 Equal Pay Days for women of color (how far into this year these women will have to work in order to make the same as a white man in 2020): 

• March 9: Asian American and Pacific Islander Women’s Equal Pay Day 
• August 3: Black Women’s Equal Pay Day 
• September 8: Native American Women’s Equal Pay Day 
• October 21: Latina Women’s Equal Pay Day 

These dates and data should upset you. The fact that some women have to work almost a full year extra to match the salary of a white man should disturb you. This year, the wage gap is further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Women of color are overrepresented in front-line jobs and are being paid less than their male counterparts. Their work is still being undervalued… even as we depend on them more than ever before. 

The National Committee on Pay Equity (NCPE) began tracking this day in 1996 with the goal to raise awareness about the gender wage gap. By now, most of us are well aware of the gender pay gap. We need to move from awareness to action. It’s past time. Here are some steps organizations and organizational leaders can take in closing the gap. 

1. Recognize Your Biases. We all have biases; it’s a fact. As a leader, or someone in charge of another’s overall compensation, it’s important for you to self-reflect and understand what biases you may be holding that contribute to the pay gap. Understand why you hold these biases and work to change them.  

2. Analyze Your Pay Data. It’s not a secret that pay disparities persist – we discuss them every year when Equal Pay Day comes around. Closing the gap is not rocket science. Those in power just have to want to do it. When we work with clients, one of the very practical steps we advise on is interrogating pay policies with an equity centered lens. Look at your pay across gender and race/ethnicity and identify the disparities that exist. 

3. Fix It. Once you identify pay inequities…fix them! Yes, it’s that simple. Increase pay where needed. Identify the break(s) in the system contributing to the gaps and fix them. This is not complex; this is tangible. Just fix it already. Pay women. 

I look forward to a time where we no longer have to acknowledge Equal Pay Day! 

What are some things your organization has done to close the gap? Share in the comments below.